Sonic 4: Episode 2 Discussion
Electric Bogaloo

After seeing the video, I have kinda mixed thoughts about this. The game graphic wise is a nice improvement over what I've seen from episode 1, but the game play itself is still a huge turnoff. Plus if this is only 4 levels again for $15 I don't see myself buying this, but I'll probably try it out sometime like I did with episode 1.

Classic Sonic's game play and design in Generations was great and it makes me wonder why for a game that's supposed to be a continuation of the original series and one of Sega's finest works that they're going the low-budget route with Dimps when they've already shown off what Sonic Team is capable of

The reason I'm irked that Sonic and Tails can't be played solo is that I was kind of expecting to be able to do so because you were able to do so in Sonic 2 and 3 and Advance 1. Aww well. It could have been nice, but I'm not about to get my panties in a bunch over it.

The reason I'm irked that Sonic and Tails can't be played solo is that I was kind of expecting to be able to do so because you were able to do so in Sonic 2 and 3 and Advance 1. Aww well. It could have been nice, but I'm not about to get my panties in a bunch over it.

I think what bugs me the most about it is that it was such a fundamental basic, that removing it in order to play the game correctly makes the game feel more like a gimmick than a standalone Sonic platformer.

However, as long as it works and doesn't feel clunky, which so far we haven't seen any evidence that says it doesn't work, I'll be fine with it.

Something I do like, however, is that the camera zooms in and out depending on what is being displayed, which is something I very much prefer over the static camera from Episode 1, it makes it feel much more 2.5D.

More on topic, On one note I'm glad they at least have a more working chemistry on co-op this time around. That's a plus, and a good way to progress from its predecessors.

On the other note, it kinda tells you how the level design will be considering it's madatory now. I'm just hoping they don't overuse this to where it becomes stale and the only way to complete levels and such (which looks like the case for why you can't be stand-alones in the first place). It would've been a lot more beneficial to make secret Tails territories so that both characters could be alone in single player. Leave the high flying and swimming as rewards for exploring secret and obscure paths and what not, and not forced upon us.

Don't expect Mega Drive physics, but do expect the major grievances such as the infamous inertia-killing deceleration and uncurling to be gone.

Is it still Dimps doing the game? If so, I am guessing the actual extra time spent on the Sonic Generations 3DS engine was to use it for Episode 2 also?

So, have a look at the foreground graphics. It is now in 3D, rather than pre-rendered textures that Episode 1 had.

Tails and Sonic playable at the same time? Hmm, I wonder how much headache the programmers got for adding that? It is the first time since Sonic Advance 1's Tails CPU cheat and Sonic Advance 3. Will it be better?

I do not trust Sega's trailers. They are too fast-paced and post edited. And still, I do not like the name "Sonic 4" on this product. And Sonic has green..... *shot*

Don't expect Mega Drive physics, but do expect the major grievances such as the infamous inertia-killing deceleration and uncurling to be gone.

Is it still Dimps doing the game? If so, I am guessing the actual extra time spent on the Sonic Generations 3DS engine was to use it for Episode 2 also?

So, have a look at the foreground graphics. It is now in 3D, rather than pre-rendered textures that Episode 1 had.

Tails and Sonic playable at the same time? Hmm, I wonder how much headache the programmers got for adding that? It is the first time since Sonic Advance 1's Tails CPU cheat and Sonic Advance 3. Will it be better?

I do not trust Sega's trailers. They are too fast-paced and post edited. And still, I do not like the name "Sonic 4" on this product. And Sonic has green..... *shot*

The Generations 3DS engine, while by no means great is better than the E1 engine. However, I can almost guarantee they're still using the E1 engine. I've analysed the fucking shit out of the trailer and it's got E1 written all over it.

Let me be plain: You will survive without a Tails-only option. Christ, you get Tails in a CD remake and now you're so self-entitled! No wonder DIMPS is treating you bad.

Tails has gotten totally shafted in recent years until the Sonic CD port. Having multiple playable characters was fucking awesome in S3&K and the Advance games plus it added a ton of replay value. Why Dimps stopped doing that, I don't know. Maybe it was to have the levels more based around Sonic's pros and cons. Whatever the reason, I disliked how both Dimps and Sonic Team stopped having Tails as a playable character in their games. Not to mention Sonic Team did a terrible job implementing Tails in both Sonic Adventure 1 and 2. That, and I feel Sonic Heroes sucks.

serpx, on 24 February 2012 - 12:11 AM, said:

I'm just skeptical of the idea and I hope the game doesn't require an insane amount of interaction with Tails. It's not that I don't think it's fun, it's just that I'm not comfortable with it yet since none of the past titles have used it. I'm aware something like this is on a Nintendo Sonic game, but I haven't played much of the new titles since they derailed to every system ever.

I'm really attached to the solo play of the past Genesis titles, so that's primarily why I don't want to play a "Sonic Heroes" game, which I mean where you are required to heavily interact with a team that is always running with you. I'm not a fan. As for being creative, I'm all for creativity. Creativity can take many forms though, valued good and bad, and this is just one creative choice I'm iffy about. The creative level designs and the new robots are awesome.

Part of why episode 1 was so disappointing had to do with the fact it did absolutely nothing new. For 2D Sonic games, it's not very easy to innovate so the fact they're putting the effort of doing new things is great to me. Of course, the Sonic and Tails moves look really fun to me partially because I've been wanting to see a Sonic game where having both Sonic and Tails was mandated. Hell, in all honesty, having both Sonic and Tails mandated is Sonic 4 as I truly imagined it and that is not a joke. Like literally for many years before Sonic 4 was even announced, I imagined Sonic 4 with that and have some levels require both characters to do certain things. The fact they're doing that with this game is super awesome to me, but I wish I could also switch characters at anytime in DKC1-3 style. That would be fucking awesome. However, finding out I can't play as Tails at all in single player is so disappointing that it hurt a ton of excitement I had for this game. Still excited for this game, but nowhere near as much.

Kogen, on 23 February 2012 - 11:36 PM, said:

Tails can pick Sonic up, though, so what is the problem? You still control him and do the same abilities by the looks of this footage. He is supposed to be a sidekick, so this makes more sense than Tails being without Sonic.

I have no problem not having a Tails only option since I'd much rather play as Tails with Sonic following, but the only game to give me that option is Sonic Advance 3. Some of the new ideas for this game remind me a lot of Sonic Advance 3 except pulled off better which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned since I loved all three of the Sonic Advance games.

So I wonder if we'll get a new piece of concept art today or if they'll stop now that they've released the trailer (They sure will, Past me). Which I suppose I enjoyed, the game looks pretty cool. Nice that it's coming out rather soon too. I'm willing to bet the larger enemies like the polar bear are Act 1 bosses/minibosses. It'd also be pretty sweet if the terrain continued and there was seamless transition between Acts, a la S3&K. The latter seems less likely to happen though, as there are probably things about the first episode they don't want to change out of fear for alienating the folks who picked up Episode I without much experience and loved it (Homing Attack reticule/sound effect, 'modern' character design, Bubbles chains, etc.).

EDIT 4367: ICE BLOCK - Dis a block you break through with yo face in snow land.
SNEGGMAN - Is what it looks like it is.

This post has been edited by Sonic Warrior TJ: 24 February 2012 - 11:47 AM

THEY DIDN'T FUCKING FIX THE SPINDASH AND ROLLING SOUND EFFECT. FUCK YOU DIMPS!

I'm not buying this game now. I am dead serious it is because of that reason. Call it a pet peeve if you want, or plain retarded, but that honestly throws it away from me. If you can't even get a single sound effect that IS CONSTANTLY USED throughout the game right, you don't deserve to be making Sonic games. Jesus fucking christ...

So I wonder if we'll get a new piece of concept art today or if they'll stop now that they've released the trailer (They sure will, Past me). Which I suppose I enjoyed, the game looks pretty cool. Nice that it's coming out rather soon too. I'm willing to bet the larger enemies like the polar bear are Act 1 bosses/minibosses. It'd also be pretty sweet if the terrain continued and there was seamless transition between Acts, a la S3&K. The latter seems less likely to happen though, as there are probably things about the first episode they don't want to change out of fear for alienating the folks who picked up Episode I without much experience and loved it (Homing Attack reticule/sound effect, 'modern' character design, Bubbles chains, etc.).

EDIT 4367: ICE BLOCK - Dis a block you break through with yo face in snow land.
SNEGGMAN - Is what it looks like it is.

Loving that Sneggman art xD.
Interesting and pretty rare thing: a pun in Russian language. In russian Snowman is Снеговик[Snegovick] looks like SnEGGovick. xD.
And Snow is Снег [SnEGG] xD

THEY DIDN'T FUCKING FIX THE SPINDASH AND ROLLING SOUND EFFECT. FUCK YOU DIMPS!

I'm not buying this game now. I am dead serious it is because of that reason. Call it a pet peeve if you want, or plain retarded, but that honestly throws it away from me. If you can't even get a single sound effect that IS CONSTANTLY USED throughout the game right, you don't deserve to be making Sonic games. Jesus fucking christ...

Sorry Mac, but I do not think the rest of us should suffer through stale repetition because you are not comfortable with creativity or progress. I already played and own Sonic 2, I do not want a repeat of it. I want something new. That means new gameplay features, such as co-op being expanded upon, just as it was in Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Go play Tetris if you are uncomfortable with progressive change.

If anyone wants to complain it should be about corruptive elements, like the homing attack, the bad graphics, the weird bears, the physics, the level design, the art style, and the intergrity of the developer. There is no sense in crying about an expanded feature built off of Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Knuckles Chaotix. SEGA made quite a lot of boring Sonic games with just Sonic boosting around lately, give other people a chance to have fun and the developers a chance to breathe some life into an outdated, backwards, devolving series.

I'm not comfortable with the idea of requiring interaction with Tails to get through obstacles. I'm okay with it, if it's optional. I'm also very comfortable with creativity and progress -- that's just one creative idea that I dislike, if it's there. Feel free to change up level design, robot designs, boss designs, story ideas, and other additional features in order to prevent repetition and staleness. Add-ons are cool, I've grown to like the homing attack. I was iffy on its inclusion, but when I played Classic Sonic in Generations, I found myself missing the homing attack. Sonic 3 and Knuckles brought in some very fun innovations (where are the Bubble Shield, Fire Shields, etc.) I may find myself enjoying this new feature, but right now I'm just being vocal to express my nonderogatory thoughts on the change as I see it now -- stuff SEGA would like to see out of all their fans.

There is always perfect sense for someone to cry express their thoughts -- there is always room for that. People being vocal is how products are made better. Feel free to be vocal on why you think it's a good change -- discussing this in a positive respectful manner is how positive things happen. I disagree that the homing attack is bad -- I think it can help the flow of the game, if it's used in a well-designed manner.

Also, since it's such a big new feature, there's other people who may feel the same ... I don't know if I would group everyone in here as being 100% okay with this Tails interaction feature, since change naturally brings resistance (especially in this fanbase). You grouped everyone as people who don't want to suffer stale repetition, and I don't want to suffer that either. There's so many ways to prevent that, aside from this new feature -- which is why creativity is great.

THEY DIDN'T FUCKING FIX THE SPINDASH AND ROLLING SOUND EFFECT. FUCK YOU DIMPS!

I'm not buying this game now. I am dead serious it is because of that reason. Call it a pet peeve if you want, or plain retarded, but that honestly throws it away from me. If you can't even get a single sound effect that IS CONSTANTLY USED throughout the game right, you don't deserve to be making Sonic games. Jesus fucking christ...

Check at about 0:48 seconds in. You can hear Tails rev up into the Marble Garden wheel. The only thing that seems wrong is the noise the speed boosters make when it sends you in a ball.

THEY DIDN'T FUCKING FIX THE SPINDASH AND ROLLING SOUND EFFECT. FUCK YOU DIMPS!

I'm not buying this game now. I am dead serious it is because of that reason. Call it a pet peeve if you want, or plain retarded, but that honestly throws it away from me. If you can't even get a single sound effect that IS CONSTANTLY USED throughout the game right, you don't deserve to be making Sonic games. Jesus fucking christ...

Check at about 0:48 seconds in. You can hear Tails rev up into the Marble Garden wheel. The only thing that seems wrong is the noise the speed boosters make when it sends you in a ball.

To me it seemed that the spin dash charging sound effect in the trailer is the same as the one in Episode 1, so yeah, it looks like they didn't fix the sound effects.